Code-record



G. H. WILLIAMS.

CODE RECORD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, I919.

Patqnted Mar. 2,1920.

INVENTOR' GEORGEE ;H. WILLIAMS.

Fig.3.

s'rn'pns PM GEORGE H. WILLIAMS, 0]? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB. TO SAID GEORGE H.

WILLIAMS, TRUSTEE FOB HIMSELF AND ALBERT YBARRA.

CODE-RECORD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23. 1 .92 8.

Appliea tion filed June 2, 1919. Serial No. 301,315.

a citizen of the United States. residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California. have invented new and useful liiipi'(weinents in Code-Records, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for making a code record, and pertains particularly to a portabi'e device adapted to be concealed.

Secret service operatives, investigators, and othe s o'l'ten find it necessary secretly to make records of descriptions. conversations and the like. In order not to excite suspicion the record should be made while concealed from the sight of those to whom it relates. t is the principal object of my invention to provide a device which may be conveniently used for this purpose. Another object of this invention is to provide a device which may be adapted 't'or useby the blind in writing, by producing raised characters on a strip 0t paper. or the like.

A still further object oi this invention is to provide a device by which characters may be marked upon a slip o'l paper by operating keys.

In addition to the broader features of my invention. there are details of construction whereby a simple. compact and durable structure. easy to manipulate. and producing uniform characters, properly spaced and easily read. is secured.

These objects will be more fully understood, as will also other objects and corresponding acconiplishments of my invention from the following detailed description of a. preferred embodiment thereof. For the purpose of this description, reference, is had to the accompanying drawing. in which:

Figui'e 1 is a perspective view oi the device inclosed within a housing simulating a book; Fig. 2 is a section in plan view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 taken on the line i4- of Fig. '1: and Fig. 5 is a fragment of the driving belt.

Although the mechanism in the embodiment of the. invention shown herein is housed in a easing having the appearance of a book, this is for illustrative purposes only. A casing of any other type may be used. However. the book *asing shown herein permits the device to be held in the hand in full view without unduly exciting suspicion.

The casing comprises a box 6 havinga cover 7 hinged thereto. Any suitable fasten ing means may be used to hold the lid in. closed position. In one side of the casing is a peep hole having a cover 8 so that by Withdrawing the cover the record being pro duced I may be inspected. Projecting through the casing are keys 9, 10 and 11 for operating the mechanism.

Mounted upon the bottom of the casing adjacent opposite ends are shafts 12 and 1 .3.

Rotatably mounted upon shaft 12 is a spool 14 having a core 15 carrying a compensat' ing roll ot' paper 16. Rotatably mounted on the shaft- 12 above spool 1-ii is a spool 17 having a core 18 carrying an impression roll of paper 19. Cores 15 and 18 are secured together so that they will rotate in unison by means of keys 20 and 21. A. cover plate 22 is mounted upon the top of spool 11' and held in position by a nut. Mounted on shaft 13 is a bowed friction spring 23, and resting thereon is a spool 24 having a core 25, from which the strip of paper of the compensating roll is unwound. Disposed on the shaft 13 over spool 24: is a second spool 26 having a core from which the strip of paper of the impression roll is unwound. A cover plate 27 is mounted over spool 26 and heldin position by a nut. The spring 23 frictionally with the strip of paper from the in'ipressio'n roll. To maintain the strip from the impression roll indicated by A in contact with the ink roll, two guide rolls 30 and 31ro tatably mounted on shafts are provided. The strip of paper from the compensating roll indi-ated by B passes directly from spool 2i to spool 1-1.

Passed about the compensating roll, and guided over the rolls 30 and 31 is a sprocket belt 32. Sprocket belt 32 is held taut by means of an idler 33 held thereagainst by a spring bracket 34. upon which it is mounted. The belt is driven by means of a sprocket wheel whose teeth engage the openings in the sprocket belt.

Sprocket wheel 35 is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 36 and is fixed toa ratchet wheel 37. Facing the inking roll 29 is a standard 38 slidably' receiving character bars, two of which are indicated by 39 and. 40. There are in the device illustrated three character bars one. above the other. These bars are in such position that they may be moved into engagement with the strip A. Bar 2.) has a stop ll, which prevents it being moved against the strip. this bar being a spacing bar. Bar 40 has a printing end of some length so as to make a dash upon the strip when pressed thereagainst. The bar below 4.0 is designed to make the impression of a point upon the strip when pressed thereagainst. Bar 39 has an elbow, to the end of which is secured the key 9. Bar 40 extends through the casing and is equipped with a key 10. The lower bar 42 has an elbow pri'wided at the end with a key 11. lllounted upon each of the character bars is a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel 37. The pawl on bar 39 is indicated by 43. It is obvious that upon pressing upon any one of the keys, the sprocket wheel will he moved, so as to space and then the bar withthe exception of bar 39 will mark its (liar-actor upon the strip, bar 39 marking no -haracter.

It is evident that as one of the compensating" rolls increases in size. the other decreases in size, and the' required length of belt 32 passing thereover is maintained constant.

The lii air movement of the impression strip A. is constant for each movement of a key regardless oi the relative sizes of the impress-ion roll. The impression rolls-correspend in size to the compensating rolls. and move therewith. As the belt rests against the com wnsating rolls. the latter will move cXactly the same distance as the belt. Tl driving was accomplished by turn ing the spool on shalt 12 or those upon shaft 13 a uniform angular distance each time. that one of the keys was operated, then the spacing would not. be uniform. its the winding roll increased in size, the linear distance thri'nig'h which the strip passed upon ea h movement of a kev would progressivcly incrlarc.

To make a record a code oi dots, dashes and spaces is used. The proper keys are de pressed by the fingers of the operator to make the. record. the. keys being returned by springs.

T he device may be carried in the pocket and operated therein, thus, effectively concealing it. It may be concealed in any other place convenient for operation. The casing may also be varied to imitate other well known articles, so as to avoid exciting suspicion.

in order to read the record, the impression rolls should be removed, rewound, and

-then unwound while being read. The compensating roll should then be rewound and a new impression roll inserted in the machine. Rewinding may be accomplished by providing suitable rewinding mechanism. However, as this mechanism forms no part of my invention, it is not described herein.

Vihat I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a Winding roll and an unwinding roll, an impression strip passed thereover, means to mark characters on said strip, a driving belt passed over rolls increasing and decreasing in size directly with said winding; and unwinding rolls, and means to move said belt a uniform distance upon each operation of said character means.

2; In a device of the class described, the combination of a winding roll and an unwinding roll, an impression strip passed thereover, a reeling roll and an unreeling roll, a compensating strip passed over said last mentioned rolls, abelt passed over said reeling: and unreeling rolls, means to mark characters on said impression strip, and means to move said belt a uniform distance. upon each operation of said character means.

3. in a device of the class described, the combination of a winding roll and an unwinding roll. an impression strip passed tluireover, a reeling roll and. an unreeling roll, a compensating strip passed over said last mentioned rolls, a belt passed river said reeliny, and unreeling rolls, character bars [or engaging said impression strip, and a drive wheel for said belt geared to said character liars so as to be rotated by movennrnt. ol' the latter.

In, 'vvitness that 1 claim the foregoing l have hereunto suhserilml my name this 56th day 0F May. .1919.

GEORGE ll. WILLIAMS. 

